While this pricing policy may sound like a great deal for women, it may not be legal.

Pricing Discrimination

These businesses are charging women less in protest of gender pay discrimination, but it's still just another form of gender discrimination, prohibited by many states' laws.

In California, different pricing based on gender is a violation of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. Under the act, businesses are prohibited from discriminating against customers based on sex, age, ancestry, color, disability, and other categories. California also passed the Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995 which states, "No business establishment of any kind whatsoever may discriminate, with respect to the price charged for services of similar or like kind, against a person because of the person's

While protesting the gender pay gap may be an honorable cause, be careful about charging women less than men. You may be violating your state's gender discrimination laws. If you do want to institute such a policy, consult with an experienced local business attorney first to check your state's laws.